


Nest With Me

by PoisonPrincess96



Category: Fairy Tail
Genre: Alpha Gajeel, Alpha Gray, Dominate Gray, Heats, M/M, Mating Season, Natsu is a bit of an idiot, Nesting, Omega Natsu, Possessive Behavior, Possessive Gray, Possessive Natsu, Protective Gray, Punishments, Sickfic, Submissive Natsu, protective Natsu, sort of
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-06-05
Updated: 2016-06-05
Packaged: 2018-07-12 09:35:58
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,785
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7097095
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/PoisonPrincess96/pseuds/PoisonPrincess96
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Mature dragons and dragon slayers go through mating seasons, Natsu is no exception, except Natsu decided not to get his mate this year, regardless of the dangers.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Nest With Me

**Author's Note:**

> I way overhauled and edited this story and I'm adding a smut chapter! Hope you guys enjoy would really like to say, I'm blown away with his much everybody liked this fic. This is th most kudos I've ever gotten, you guys really encouraged me. Thank you.

Gray was missing his shirt.  
This, in it of itself, was no oddity, or even really unexpected, was was unexpected, is that Natsu had grabbed it and run off.  
Really, the pink haired boy had been acting strange for about a week, ever since Gray had been caught around the throat by a mage they’d been trying to capture, and Natsu growled so fiercely that everyone froze as he stalked up to the rouge and ripped him away from the ice mage, shouting covered up by blast of fire erupting from the ground around the dragon slayer as he pounded the mage to pulp.  
Ever since then Natsu would growl a lot, and had been coming to the guild less and less frequently, and even went as far as to ask Lisanna to please keep Happy for a while.  
But this, Natsu walking calmly up to Gray, demanding his shirt, and then walking away by far took the cake for weirdest thing he’d done so far. Wendy, who had been sitting next to Gray at the time, was smiling knowingly, causing Gray to turn towards her, demanding to know what the hell was happening.  
“Natsu- San is nesting.”  
“He’s what?”  
“Dragons and dragon slayers go through periods of nesting just before mating season once they hit maturity. Haven’t you noticed Gajeel won’t let anyone near Levy if they’re even here?” Now that she’d said something Gray had noticed that Gajeel and Levy’s attendance at the guild had dropped to near non existent, and on the very few and short though they were, Gajeel had an arm around levy the entire time and growled at anyone who got to close.  
“Okay, so, nesting, why did he take my shirt?”  
“Well, you said you’ve known each other for years, it’s entirely likely that he finds your sent familiar and pleasant and wanted it in his nest.” Gray decided he didn’t want to investigate the warm feeling in his chest at the notion that Natsu wanted his smell in the nest he was building for his mate.  
Mate.  
Natsu was going to have a mate soon.  
“How long does mating last?” Gray demanded, a little harshly.  
“Well, mating season is about a week to a month depending on if you start early, as Natsu seems to have, and when you actually mate. But the mating last a whole lifetime, dragon slayers pick one mate and, if they accept them, they spend their life together, if they reject them though, the slayer spend life on it’s own.” Gray couldn’t hate someone who Natsu needed. Whoever he chose as his mate, Gray sent a glare Lucy’s way, Gray would try to be friendly with, for Natsu’s sake.  
Gray was pulled from his thoughts to listen to Mira and Erza speculate about who Natsu would choose.  
“Obviously it will be you, Lucy.” Erza pointed out.  
“Me? Not a chance. Natsu and I talked before the season started so I could bring him food when he goes through his heat.” Wendy shot up like a bullet.  
“Natsu is a submissive?” She looked like she was about to die of shock.  
“I think so. He explained that he’d go through a period of nesting and wouldn’t want anyone in his apartment for a while, then he’d go through, well kind of a distress state is how he explained it. Basically his body is going to be calling for his mate, but he said he wasn’t going to get his this season. So after his heat he’s going to stay at his apartment alone for a while, and I should just leave meals outside the door for him until he comes back to the guild.” Lucy finished and Wendy gained a dark look.  
“Poor Natsu. Going through the season alone, knowing who your mate is, it’s painful and downright dangerous.”  
“Maybe he doesn’t know.’ Gray cut in. The thought of his team mate in any kind of danger making him itch.  
“He knows.” Lucy killed his hope with two simple words. “That’s why he’s not here. He’s not sure how good his self control will be around them while he’s going through his heat.”  
“That’s probably wise, although i’d prefer he’d just talk to his mate. I’m sure he won’t reject Natsu.”  
“He?” Hope flowed through Gray once again at the phrasing.  
“Oh. Well, you see, Dragons and Dragon slayers are so rare, especially girls, that the males are split into… it’s like a secondary gender almost, alphas and omegas, submissives and dominates. And while there are boy omegas, there aren’t any female alphas.”  
“Why?” Erza and Lucy asked at the same time, clearly caught up in impromptu story time. Mira was also neglecting work in favor of listening.  
“Girls can already get pregnant.” Everyone was stunned silent until Lucy very tentatively asked,  
“So omegas…”  
“Bear children. Yes. That’s what the heat is. Their body calling for a mate to… well… to impregnate them.” Poor Wendy was scarlet at this point.  
“So, Natsu’s mate, he won’t be a dragon slayer, so.. How will that work?”  
“After they do the actual mating act Natsu’s mate will start changing into an alpha.”  
‘Wow.” Everyone agreed.  
“But who’s his mate?” The million dollar question. 

Natsu, back in his apartment, was trying to resist building more nest. He’d used every blanket and pillow in his apartment, and then proceed to beg Lucy for most of hers, luckily she’d complied. He’d then worked very hard on trying to get all her smell off of them, and then tore apart his already built nest in order to use all of the old ones on the bottom.  
Natsu was perched on the arm of the couch, stripped of its cushions, to look at the nest taking up most of his room. It resembled a sort of circular hammock. He’d gone into the woods a few days ago and gotten the wood for a frame, which he then hung from the ceiling, then covered it with all the furniture covers, thicker blankets, and larger pillows to make it soft enough to sleep on and be perfectly comfortable. He’d then lined it with the smaller pillows, some his, some Lucy’s after he figured out how to get all of the offensive not mate smell off of them. Smaller, mostly fluffy blankets covered and lined the nest, many draped from the ceiling as some sort of roof, enclosing the nest and making it more safe for the dragon slayer’s mate and hatchlings. And finally, lovingly placed in the middle was Gray’s shirt, which Natsu had avoided touching so his nest would smell at least slightly like mate.  
A light, flower smell that was distinctly Lucy could be smelled from the hall, along with the wonderful smell of dinner. Natsu rushed to the door so he could catch his friend.  
“Lucy!”  
“Hi Natsu, how goes the nest building?”  
“Great! But… I don’t have enough blankets and pillows… could you maybe ask Gray if I could have his?”  
“Sure.. but um.. Why Gray? I’m sure Erza would give you some.”  
“Gray smells like snow and winter, Erza smells like metal and violence.” Lucy could understand why Gray would be, at least, slightly better.  
‘Okay. He went on a job, but when he comes home I’ll ask him for you.” Lucy couldn’t help but wonder why Gray had decided to take a mission that would last about three days outside of town the second the girls had started debating who Natsu’s mate would be. Natsu bit back a whine at the knowledge that his Gray had left, but smiled at Lucy and took the food. Thanking her for the help.  
Natsu wolfed down his food and went back to moving things around in his nest.

The next day Natsu felt hot. Not the good, in the middle of a fight hot, just.. Hot. And generally uncomfortable. Everything smelled wrong. Too much like himself and not enough like the crisp wintery smell coming from the shirt he’d put himself near while still carefully not touching, lest the wonderful smell go away. Lucy brought him food for the day and told him Erza would bring it tomorrow because she was going on a minor job for the day and would be back tomorrow night. Natsu wasn’t really paying attention, she smelled wrong. 

The next day Natsu felt sick. Nauseous and achy and still hot. Erza had already left him food but the smell in the hallways was making him feel even worse. So Natsu just buried his nose in the very corner of Gray’s shirt to block it out. Natsu mostly dozed that day, he got up briefly to hang what Lucy called fairy lights around his nest. He wanted his mate bathed in the nice, soft glow when he was in his nest. With a pang Natsu acknowledged that there would be no mate. No one to hold him close and coddle him, no one to cook for, no one to fill him with babies.  
No one.

By the third day Natsu couldn’t even move. He hurt and opening his eyes, even in the dim lighting, made his whole head feel like exploding. Natsu whimpered and tried to find Gray’s shirt. It barely smelled like him anymore, making Natsu whimper sadly. As the day went on the poor dragon slayer felt worse and worse as he tried breathing deeper and deeper trying to hold onto the wonderful smell that helped, ever so slightly, with the rolling nausea, horrible head ache, cramps racking through his whole body so bad he could barely breath, and overwhelming sense of worthlessness. 

Gray got off the train feeling rejuvenated. By now Natsu would be done with mating season, and he could suck up the thought of the pinkett in the arms of some guy who he’d spend his entire life with. Gray decided to go drink something strong at the guild where he might find someone who sympathized with his disappointment. He’d just sat down with Cana and ordered something when Lucy came skipping up to him.  
“Hi Gray! How was the job?”  
“It was good. I won’t have to go on a job for a few months. That ambassador sure was annoying though.” Lucy laughed as she sat down at the bar next to her teammate.  
“So, Natsu wanted me to ask if he cud have some of your blankets and pillows, he already has most of mine, but apparently it’s not enough.” Gray grinned. That was at least one thing he could do that Natsu’s mate couldn’t.  
“I’ll take it to him right now.” Gray jumped up, his drink forgotten behind him.  
When the ice mage arrived at Natsu’s apartment with a large bundle of his things on his back he didn’t get an answer at the door.  
“Flame brain, you okay in there?” Nothing. “I’m coming in.” Aside from the absolute lack of anything pillow or blanket like everything seemed fine around the house. “Natsu?” Still nothing. Gray waked over to Natsu’s room.  
If ever a time Gray was jealous, it was now.  
It really did look like a nest. Round, basically a circle, covered in lots of pillows and blankets on the inside and draped over the top, giving it a secluded look. Three or four people could lay comfortably inside and not touch. Little fires held in glass balls wrapped around the the rim of the nest and went around the top, framing the opening, Gray could see more on the inside too.  
“Natsu, are you okay?” A small groan from inside had Gray throwing the bag on his shoulders inside before quickly following. Natsu was curled up in the middle looking like he was in pain, clutching Gray’s shirt to his chest with his nose buried in it.  
“Hey buddy, are you okay?” More groans as Natsu turned towards Gray and put his hand on the ice mage’s thigh. Heat radiated off Natsu, like it always did, but this time it was alarming. Gray put his hands on the pinkett’s forehead and hissed at the heat, until he saw the dragon slayer turn to nuzzle his hand.  
“Natsu, could you look at me?” Green eyes opened hazily before widening slightly, Natsu threw Gray a wavering smile.  
‘Gray, you’re back.” The ice mage smiled gently at the clearly ill slayer.  
“Yeah buddy. I’m back.”  
“Mine.” Natsu muttered, curling himself around Gray. This made the blue haired boy freeze.  
“Natsu, you can’t go to sleep yet. Who’s your mate?” Gray demanded.  
“You, silly.” Later Gray would laugh at how out of it the slayer was, but for now he was too distracted.  
“Oh, baby.” Gray pulled Natsu into his arms smiling as pink hair nuzzled into his neck.  
“Mine.” Natsu muttered again. Gray laughed as Natsu whined when he put him down. Gray grabbed one of the pillows he’d brought and handed it to the dragon slayer.  
“I’ll be right back sweetheart.” Gray ran all the way to the guild, eager to get back to his mate.  
“Wendy!” The young dragon slayer jumped about a foot as the ice mage ran in.  
“What is it?”  
“I’m Natsu’s mate.” Gray couldn’t help but grin at the admission.  
“That’s wonderful! Why are you here?”  
“He’s really sick. What do I do. Quickly as possible.”  
“He needs something that smells like you.”  
“I left him with a pillow of mine. And when i got there he was cuddling my shirt.”  
“Oh, poor Natsu. It probably barely smelled like you.” Gray grimaced.  
“So how do I make him better.” Gray pushed.  
“Just go be with him, take care of him, praise him a lot, especially the nest, I can’t imagine it’s anything bellow perfect, but even if it’s terrible praise it. Genetically it’s all he’ll want at this point.” Gray nodded and ran off, back to his mate.  
“Natsu, I’m back!” A whine came from the nest.  
“Oh, darling, come here.” Gray crawled into the nest and laid back against one of the pillows and pulled Natsu up so he was laying on the blue haired boy’s chest, then grabbed one of his blankets and laid it over the slayer.  
“My beautiful boy.” Natsu grinned and nuzzled into Gray’s chest. “Made such a nice nest. Just for me, so good for me.” More nuzzling. “Such a good boy.” Natsu was asleep pretty fast, gray quickly followed, travel and the stress of finding Natsu in such a bad state had drained him. The two mates slept peacefully, cuddled together in a warm nest, soft fires glowing delicately in little glass balls keeping the nest comfortably warm.  
Natsu woke up feeling better than he had in weeks. So good, in fact, that he hadn’t even noticed he was laying on something cool and wonderful for quite a while. When he did see Gray he panicked, shoving off of the other boy’s chest and curling in around himself.  
“No! Bad Natsu. Very bad. No bothering alpha. No.”  
“What happened?” Gray sat up, looking around blearily. “Natsu, why are you over there? Are you okay.”  
“Bad.” Gray blinked. Last night Natsu had been nuzzling his chest and grinning at him, now he was curled around himself sitting in the corner of his nest, head in his knees.  
“No baby, not bad. Why would you say that?”  
“You came and helped me.” What the hell does that mean?  
“Natsu, come here.” Gray hated his mate across the nest from him. Shockingly enough Natsu obeyed. “You always going to be this compliant for me?” A small shake of the head.  
“I get like this around mating season. Stupid biology.” Gray smiled gently at him and pulled the pinkett into his lap.  
“Now, what’s the matter? Do you not want me here?”  
“No. I don’t want to want you here.” Gray frowned.  
“Do you not like me? I thought I was your mate?” Natsu went red.  
“I didn't want this to happen! You won’t keep me and then I’ll be alone! If I didn’t say anything I could at least keep you as a friend and hope.” Oh. That’s what this was about.  
“Well too bad. Natsu felt ice in his veins. “You’re stuck with me.”  
“What?”  
“Don’t be fooled, I’m mad at you. You should have come to me the second the started and told me so I could take care of you. But, i can’t be too mad. You were doing what you thought was right. But you hide anything from me again and you’ll be in trouble.” Natsu found himself nodding obediently. Once the season wore off he’d be back to normal, but in the middle he was incredibly submissive. “Good boy.” Natsu glowed under the praise.


End file.
